Programmable logic devices (PLDs) such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) are integrated circuits (ICs) devices that include generic structures and logic blocks that can be configured to perform different functions. Some of these logic blocks include logic circuitry, registers, I/O blocks, memory blocks, digital signal processing (DSP) blocks, one-time programmable (OTP) fuse blocks, etc. These circuitry elements are programmable to perform any of a variety of tasks and functions.
Generally speaking, these circuitry elements, e.g., memory blocks, may be placed anywhere on the IC device. However, the placement of some of these circuitry elements may depend on the type of the IC device and the design placed on the IC device. For instance, an IC design implemented on an FPGA device with a specific set of circuitry elements will be routed differently when implemented on an ASIC device with a different set of circuitry elements.
Generally speaking, even though an IC design may be implemented on different devices, the design may require specific resources that may not be available on all the IC devices. This is especially true when an IC design that requires a big block of memory is implemented on an IC device that only includes multiple fragmented smaller blocks of memory. Although the smaller blocks of memory on the IC device may still be adequate for the design, the scattered placement of such memory blocks on the device may take up more space on the IC device compared to a centralized memory block. It may also be more complicated to route the IC design on a device with fragmented memory blocks.